With all your heart (Good News Translation) or “heartily” (Revised Standard Version) translates the Greek ek psuchēs “from the soul.” The reason Christian slaves should perform their duties in this manner is that they should consider their service as performed for the Lord Jesus Christ, and not only for their human masters.

In place of the phrase with all your heart, it may be more in keeping with the context to employ a phrase such as “with all your strength.”

Working for the Lord and not for men may be expressed as “working to help the Lord and not to help just men.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Colossians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

From Christ’s relation to creation, the thought now turns to his relation to the Church, with the opening statement He is the head of his body, the church. The idea of “head” is that of power, rule, authority (see Eph 1.22-23). The metaphor “head of the body” represents the supremacy of Christ and the unity of all Christians as a living organism which belongs to Christ.

A literal rendering of the statement He is the head of his body may seem not only strange but even rather ludicrous. As a result, one may wish to change the order of the expressions which are in apposition, namely his body and the church. The translation may then read “he is the head of the church which is his body.” In some languages, however, it is not possible to use a term such as “head” to identify supremacy over or the governing of some object. One may have to say “he is the one who is supreme over the church, which is his body” or “he is the one who governs the church, which is his body.”

He is the source of the body’s life represents in Greek “he is the beginning” (or source). Two questions arise: (1) does this refer to creation or the Church? Most prefer the latter; simply to say “he is the beginning” (Revised Standard Version Phillips New International Version) is inadequate. (2) What relation with the Church does it designate? Translator’s New Testament “its founder”; Barclay “its beginning”; Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “he is the source of the new life”; Bible en français courant “it is in him that the new life begins”; Twentieth Century New Testament “the Source of its Life.” In favor of the idea “source of its life” is the belief, current at that time, that from the head came the life and nourishment that kept the body alive. But the variety of translations shows that no dogmatic certainty is possible.

There are certain serious problems involved in any literal translation of he is the source of the body’s life, for this might very well suggest that Christ is the food which nourishes the body. The relationship may be expressed as causative, for example, “he is the one who causes the body to live.”

The first-born Son who was raised from death: for “first-born Son” see verse 15. The resurrection is perhaps referred to here as the reason why Christ is the source of the body’s life: “because he was the first-born Son to rise from death.” It is possible that born here refers specifically to the resurrection: so Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch “the first who was returned from death”; Barclay “for he was the first to return from the dead.” But the use of prōtotokos (and not simply prōtos) makes it difficult to take the word as indicating only priority in time. Bible en français courant combines the two: “he is the first-born Son, the first to have been brought back from death to life.” Or, in line with Rom 1.4, it could be taken to mean “he is the first-born Son, as shown by his resurrection.” (See the similar ho prōtotokos tōn nekrōn in Rev 1.5.)

If one translates first-born Son as “first Son,” it is important to employ a qualifying statement such as “who was raised from death” which will be clearly non-restrictive. That is to say, one should not give the impression that Christ is simply “the first son who was raised from death,” implying that other sons were also “raised from the dead.” In order to avoid such a misunderstanding, one may often translate this phrase as “he is God’s first son; God raised him from death.” In a number of languages, however, one cannot speak of the resurrection as being simply “raised from death.” The meaning must be formally restructured in some such manner as “God caused him to live again,” or “God gave him back his life,” or even “God caused his life to return to him.”

Have the first place translates a verbal phrase “that he might become supreme,” and it may be expressed as “be above all else,” or “to have the preferred place,” or “to have a place of commanding.”

In all things: this could be “in every way” (so Jerusalem Bible) or “among all people.” But the context argues for the neuter “in all things.” In all things may be better expressed in some languages as “over all things.” A literal rendering of in all things might suggest merely “among all things.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Colossians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Moule echoes other commentators when he says that this verse “is by common consent regarded as hopelessly obscure—either owing to corruption or because we have lost the clue.” He offers the following translation: “which (rules about diet, etc.) have indeed a reputation for wisdom, with their voluntary delight in religiousness and self-mortification and severity of the body, but are of no value in combatting sensual indulgence.”

The transitional emphatic phrase of course is equivalent in some languages to an introductory expression such as “it is true that” or “everyone knows that.”

Such rules may also require certain expansion, for example, “such rules about what to eat and drink” or “statements about what you can or cannot eat or drink.”

Appear to be based on wisdom (Good News Translation) or “have … an appearance of wisdom” (Revised Standard Version) expresses the meaning most commentators and translators attach to the rather unusual Greek phrase. Lohse translates “have the reputation of wisdom.” It may be particularly difficult to render more or less literally an expression such as appear to be based on wisdom, for this is semantically a very complex construction. Appear may be equivalent to “many people think” or “many people are caused to think.” To be based may be rendered as “are justified by” or “are true because of.” Wisdom cannot be expressed, in many instances, as an abstract but must be related to people who have the quality of being wise. Therefore, it may actually be necessary, in some instances, to translate appear to be based on wisdom as “people think that those who have made such rules are wise, but they are not” or “people who have made such regulations seem to be wise while they really are not.”

The three specific matters that appear to be based on wisdom are: (1) “rigor of devotion” (Revised Standard Version) represents a Greek word which appears only here in the NT and which is translated as “self-imposed worship” or “devotions” or “rigoristic piety” or the like. Bible en français courant has “their worship which springs from human will.” Some commentators see this as a reference back to “the (forced) worship of angels” in 2.18, and that is how Good News Translation has translated it; compare (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch) “self-chosen worship of the unseen powers.” (2) False humility is the same word as in verse 18 and has here the same meaning as there. (3) Severe treatment of the body refers to asceticism, the denial of normal bodily needs; it translates a word found nowhere else in the NT.

Their forced worship of angels may be rendered as “the way in which they insist that people must worship angels” or, as expressed in direct discourse, “the way in which they command, ‘You must worship angels.’ ”

False humility may be expressed as “saying that they are humble when they are not” or “pretending to be humble” or, as expressed negatively in some languages, “saying that they are not at all proud.”

Severe treatment of the body may be expressed as “not giving the body what it really needs” or “not supplying one’s self with what is necessary in order to live.” In some instances, a somewhat figurative expression may be employed, for example, “torturing one’s body as a part of one’s religion” or “saying that one can serve God by making one’s body suffer.”

The last part of the verse may be understood in two different ways: (1) these rules are of no value in controlling physical passions (so Good News Translation Revised Standard Version New English Bible New International Version Translator’s New Testament Barclay ver WEYver* Bible en français courant Biblia Dios Habla Hoy Barclay); or (2) these rules are of no value at all: rather they only serve to satisfy physical passions (RSV mg, Abbott, Beare, Lohse, New American Bible Traduction œcuménique de la Bible Goodspeed Moffatt Phillips). Lohse sees two elements in the Greek and translates: “These things … have nothing to do with honor and only serve to satiate the flesh.” Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch represents another idea: “Actually these men search only for their own honor, and they satisfy their vanity.” Before such a bewildering variety of possibilities, the translator must determine which one seems in better accord with the whole context of the passage and the letter. Dogmatic certainty, however, is impossible.

In rendering the interpretation of the Good News Translation they have no real value in controlling physical passions, one may say “these rules do not help a person who wishes to control what his body wants” or “… the desires he has because of his body.” If one adopts the second principal interpretation, one may translate “these rules about what one must or must not do, do not help even a little bit; they only satisfy what our bodies really want anyway.” In some instances, “satisfy” may be expressed as “cause us to do.”

With 3.1 a definite shift takes place from exposition to exhortation. Although there has been some exhortation in 1.3–2.23, and although there will be some exposition in 3.1–4.1, the two sections are clearly distinct in content and tone.

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Colossians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

For Onesimus, see Philemon 10-20. Here he is simply referred to as that dear and faithful brother, who belongs to your group. This quite clearly means that he is from Colossae and would also appear to mean (as in the case of Epaphras, verse 12) that he is a member of the church there. But Beare, in the light of Philemon, says he was not yet a member of the church.

With him goes Onesimus may be expressed as “Onesimus will accompany him” or “… will travel with him.”

That dear and faithful brother may be translated as “he is a fellow believer who is very dear to us and who can be trusted” or “… whom we trust.”

The reference to Onesimus as belonging to the group of believers in Colossae may be expressed as “who really belongs to your group” or “… to you as a group of believers.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Colossians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Now Paul switches to the first person singular, as contrasted with the plural in verse 28 (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, however, understands the plural in verse 28 as epistolary and translates by first singular).

To get this done may be expressed as “in order to accomplish this task” or “in order to cause all this to happen.”

I toil and struggle: the first verb denotes hard work; the second one, in Greek a participle modifying the main verb, indicates trouble or pain or effort (both verbs used together also in 1 Tim 4.10): New English Bible “toiling strenuously,” Jerusalem Bible “I struggle wearily on” (which sounds like a complaint). This verb agōnizomai describes a fight (John 18.36) or, more often, an athletic contest (1 Cor 9.25, 1 Tim 6.12, 2 Tim 4.7; see the cognate noun in Heb 12.1). It is used here generally in the sense of “struggle”.

Since the two verbs toil and struggle primarily reinforce one another, they may be quite satisfactorily rendered by a single verb with an attributive, as in the case of the New English Bible “toiling strenuously.” For example, one may say “I work very hard indeed” or “I work as hard as I can.”

Using the mighty strength which Christ supplies and which is at work represents the Greek “according to his energy which is powerfully working.” By the use of the noun energeia (only 8 times in the NT, in Eph, Phil, Col, 2 Thes), the middle participle of the cognate verb (energeō), and the prepositional phrase “in power,” Paul emphasizes the greatness and might of Christ’s power at work in him. Revised Standard Version “inspires” is ambiguous and could be misunderstood.

The phrase mighty strength must not be translated in such a way as to suggest physical strength. It may be more appropriate in some languages to say “using the great power that Christ supplies,” or “… makes possible,” or “… has caused me to have.” Rather than saying “using the mighty strength,” it may be better to say “I can do this because of the great strength.” On the other hand, it may be necessary to restructure this statement rather extensively and to say “I can do all this because Christ makes it possible for me” or “… makes me able to do it.” In this way the expression of power is closely related to the hard work or toil mentioned in the first part of verse 29.

In some languages, it may be quite impossible to talk about “mighty strength … at work in me.” A person may use strength in working but certainly “strength” does not work. Which is at work in me may, therefore, be expressed as “which shows up as I work” or “which is manifest in what I do.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Colossians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

The two participles “forbearing” and “forgiving” (Revised Standard Version) further characterize the attitude of Christians toward one another. As often happens, the participles may be understood and translated as imperatives, and not as dependent qualifying clauses. Be tolerant is of particular relevance in dealing with people who are ignorant or weak (compare especially 2 Cor 11.19). Be tolerant is very similar in meaning to patience (verse 12). In some instances, one may be expressed positively and the second negatively, for example, “putting up with people a long time” and “not being irritated by people.”

The word for complaint occurs only here in the NT (compare the cognate verb memphomai “find fault with, blame” Rom 9.19, Heb 8.8). It may be important to indicate that both the forgiveness and the complaints may be reciprocal, for example, “you should forgive one another when you have any complaints one against the other.”

The command for them to forgive one another (for the verb charizomai see 2.13) is directly related to the fact that the Lord has forgiven you (see also Matt 6.14-15, Rom 15.7, Eph 4.32). The Lord here is clearly Christ (some Greek mss in fact have “Christ”—see King James Version).

Some languages employ quite different expressions depending upon whether the object of the forgiveness is a sin or a person. For example, one may speak of forgiving a sin as “wiping out the sin” or “throwing away the guilt,” but in “forgiving a person,” it may be necessary to say “to return a person’s sin to him,” or “to give back a person’s sin,” or even “to accept a person again.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Colossians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

Because of restructuring, “which has come to you” (Revised Standard Version) appears in Good News Translation in verse 5, came to you, and in the beginning of verse 6, the subject is introduced again, the gospel. What follows is the statement of the effectiveness and growth of the gospel throughout the world, as among the Colossians. The idea of the gospel “bearing fruit” (Revised Standard Version) is a bit odd, unless it is taken as the power of the gospel to produce results and to continue to increase its effects among people everywhere. For other uses of the verb karpophoreō “to bear fruit” in a metaphorical sense, see Mark 4.20; Luke 8.15; Col 1.10. Here only does the verb occur in the middle voice (not active, as elsewhere). Lightfoot calls it a “dynamic” middle, the Gospel as it inherently is. “The middle is intensive, the active extensive.” The two verbs, say Lightfoot, denote the inner working and the outward extension of the gospel.

It may be quite impossible, in some instances, to speak of “the gospel bringing blessings.” This could only be done by a person rather than a message. Therefore, it may be important to render the gospel keeps bringing blessings as “the good news continually causes blessings for people,” or “causes good to happen to people,” or “… causes good for people.”

It is frequently quite impossible to say “the gospel … is spreading throughout the world,” for the gospel, in a sense, is not a mass like water or sand, but like a living vine which spreads and bears fruit. It is a message which must be heard, and therefore, the equivalent expression may be “more and more people in the world are hearing the good news,” or “the good news is being spoken to more and more people,” or “… is being announced to people everywhere in the world.”

Paul’s reference to throughout the world is, of course, to be understood in terms of the Graeco-Roman world, for this was the civilized world in New Testament times. In translation, however, it does not seem to be important or necessary to make any special distinction, though one might wish to introduce a footnote to explain the evident intent of this expression.

Just as it has among you should be related not only to the spreading of the good news but also the fact that it brings blessings. This may be rendered in some cases as “just as it has been doing all this among you.”

Ever since the day you first heard may be rendered as “beginning with the day when you first heard” or “from the first day that you heard even until now.”

The grace of God represents all that God is in his attitude of love, goodness, and forgiveness toward mankind. In this type of context, the grace of God may perhaps be most effectively rendered as “God’s goodness to people” or “God’s kindness to people.” Some translators wish to introduce the concept of “unmerited goodness,” that is to say, “goodness to people when they did not deserve it,” but this often results in a rather heavy expression which may appear more negative rather than positive, for it is God’s “loving goodness” which needs to be emphasized.

To know is in Greek a compound verb, which may carry the connotation of knowing thoroughly, completely. The use of know in this context suggests something more than mere intellectual perception or “knowing about.” The implication is “having some experience of.” This is in line with such biblical expressions as “knowing God,” which certainly involves more than mere intellectual knowledge about God.

As it really is is what is meant by “in truth.” The final expression in verse 6 came to know it as it really is may be difficult to express clearly and in a few words. The idea is essentially “and experienced just how God is loving and good to you” or “really experienced what it means to have God be so kind to you.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Colossians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .

This verse explains what Paul means by “Christian circumcision”: it is the spiritual transformation depicted in the Christian rite of baptism. The structure of the sentence in Greek clearly reveals his thinking: “… in union with him you were circumcised … having been buried (or because you were buried) with him in baptism.”

The Greek word for baptism here is the active form baptismos (elsewhere the passive baptisma). It may be that the act of baptism is here being stressed, in contrast with the result of the act, denoted by the passive form (so Lightfoot). But it is highly improbable that any such subtle distinction occurs between this passage and Rom 6.4.

Whenever possible it is important to use a term for baptism which will be acceptable to all groups practicing this Christian rite. The tendency has been to use a transliterated borrowing based either on Greek or upon some modern language. In this way unnecessary controversy can usually be avoided. In some instances, a rather technical expression for baptism has arisen which is acceptable to all concerned. For example, in the Maya language of Yucatan, baptism is described as “to enter the water,” a phrase first used by Roman Catholics, then by Presbyterians, and now by a number of different groups many of which practice immersion. In a number of areas, an expression such as “water ceremony” has been employed. In this way no specific mention is made of the quantity of the water nor the type of contact between the water and the baptized person. In some instances, a more specific expression such as “washing ceremony” has arisen and is generally accepted by most Christian groups to designate all the different types of baptism. In certain instances, immersionists have later reacted against such terminology, considering it incompatible with their practice. They have therefore insisted on having in their own translations or editions of the Scriptures a term meaning “to dip beneath the surface.” It is unfortunate when differences with regard to relatively secondary matters tend to figure so largely in people’s reaction to particular translations, and accordingly every effort should be made to employ a completely neutral expression.

You were buried with Christ: the verb sunthaptomai occurs elsewhere only in Rom 6.4, “by our baptism, then we were buried with him.” This “burial” took place as the person was lowered into the water, and the accompanying “resurrection,” as he or she was being brought up out of the water. Baptism symbolized death and resurrection with Christ, the end of the old self and the beginning of a new life.

The statement you were buried with Christ must often be marked as a figurative expression by means of an expression such as “as it were” or “like,” for example, “you were buried, as it were, with Christ” or “it is just like you had been buried with Christ.” Only in this way is the reader likely to grasp the significance of this figurative usage in which baptism is spoken of as a kind of burial.

A literal rendering of buried with Christ might suggest “buried alongside of Christ,” which is obviously not what the expression means. Accordingly, it may be necessary to translate “buried in the way Christ was buried.”

The phrase in baptism must frequently be expanded into an entire clause, for example, “when you were baptized” or “at the time of your being baptized.”

You were also raised with Christ: the only other occurrences of sunegeirō are in 3.1, Eph 2.6. This spiritual resurrection is effected through your faith in the active power of God. For “active power” see 1.29.

The passive expression you were also raised must in many languages be made active, and therefore one may say “God also raised you up” or “God gave you new life.” It may also be necessary, in this context, to indicate that “being raised” is figurative. Obviously the person is not literally buried nor is he literally caused to live again. Therefore, one may wish to translate you were also raised as “you were also, so to speak, caused to live again.” If God is made the subject of the raising from the dead, it would be important to translate as “God also caused you to live again by his power.”

A literal rendering of with Christ might suggest that the baptized people were raised up at the precisely same time that Christ was raised from the dead. This would apply only to those who had been baptized before Christ’s death. It may, therefore, be important to render with Christ as “even as Christ was raised.” More often however one may use a somewhat expanded phrase which will not suggest immediate association, for example, “along with Christ.”

In the series of phrases through your faith in the active power of God, both faith and the active power of God are connected with the resurrection. The active power of God is not only the goal of faith but it is also the instrument for the resurrection. The faith, may therefore be interpreted as an essential element in the resurrection but not necessarily the instrument of it. As an essential element in the process, it is often expressed as a type of secondary cause. As a result, the central section of verse 12 may be rendered as “when you were baptized, God caused you also to live again, as it were, by his power. He raised you up, as it were, along with Christ. This happened as a result of your confidence in God’s power.” Only in this way can one sometimes reflect satisfactorily a series of prepositional phrases such as with Christ, through your faith, in the active power, and of God.

Who raised him from death: literally “from dead ones,” the idea being that of the world of dead people whose company a person joins at death. Who raised him from death may be translated as “who caused Christ to live again” or in some languages “who gave back to Christ his life.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Colossians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .